BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zipcar today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Southwest Airlines to provide Zipcar memberships to nearly 45,000 Southwest and AirTran employees. With access to a Zipcar membership and discounted driving rates Monday through Friday, airline crews will now have the freedom of wheels on the ground when their flights touch down. Additionally, employees will have access to the convenience of car sharing in all Zipcar cities around the globe, including Dallas, where Southwest is headquartered and Zipcar launched this September.
The Southwest partnership will further enable Zipcar to expand its membership base while highlighting a valuable use-case for businesses whose employees need access to cars by the hour or day. To further support this partnership, Zipcar added a variety of vehicles at 27 hotels nationwide and will be looking to expand this program in the coming months. These locations will give Southwest and AirTran crew members the ability to explore their stop-over city or run errands while on a layover. Further, all Zipsters across the country traveling to these hotels will have increased access to convenient and cost-effective car sharing with more wheels in more places.
"Through our partnership with Southwest, Zipcar is able to offer an easily accessible and affordable set of wheels for airline employees who are on the road and away from their daily amenities as well as an increased Zipcar footprint in cities for all our Zipsters," said Kaye Ceille, president of Zipcar. "As of today, thousands of Southwest employees have taken advantage of this exclusive offer and recognize the value and peace of mind provided by having a Zipcar vehicle available to them in minutes."
"We are pleased to partner with Zipcar to offer a convenient car sharing service to our employees," said Dave Ridley, Senior Vice President Business Development at Southwest Airlines. "The ease of use and availability of cars at our crew hotels and cities across the nation means more flexibility for our employees while they are traveling throughout the Southwest Airlines system."
Zipcar gives its members on-demand access to a variety of cars in hundreds of cities, airports and college campuses worldwide. With Zipcars available 24/7 for reservation via Zipcar's mobile app, through www.zipcar.com, or over the phone, Zipcar is a smart transportation option for those who need a car by the hour or by the day. Each reservation includes gas, insurance and 180 miles per day.
About Zipcar
Zipcar, the world's leading car sharing network, has operations in urban areas and college campuses throughout the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Austria and France. Zipcar offers more than 30 makes and models of self-service vehicles by the hour or day to residents and businesses looking for smart, simple and convenient solutions to their urban and campus transportation needs. Zipcar is a subsidiary of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:CAR), a leading global provider of vehicle rental services. More information is available at www.zipcar.com.